More Than She Wanted

-Double up on happiness:

,,What?" Regina blurts out.

,,You are having twins," doctor Whale informs her with a beaming smile.

,,What?" Regina says again. completely sure that she heard it wrong.

,,As in two babies?" Henry asks with his mouth hanging slightly agape.

,,That's right," doctor Whale confirms. ,,Congratulations."

Regina isn't sure she's ready to be congratulated, though. ,,Are you sure?!"

Doctor Whale nods. ,,Absolutely." He pulls the screen closer and points to two grainy, barely-there images. ,,There's baby A, and there.." he points again. ,,Is baby B."

Regina fears that her eyes are about to pop out of her head. Twins. Two children. That's a lot to take in for a woman who spent most of her adult life being unable to have children. She barely listens to doctor Whale's talk about how you're often more nauseous when you're having twins, and that's the explanation why she's already showing.

,,Are you alright, mom? You look a little pale." Henry observes and looks at Regina.

,,I'm… fine. I'm just shocked."

,,How about you, mom?" Lily chuckles. ,,You are being awfully quiet."

Maleficent is in fact unusually quiet. Regina looks up at her wife. Mal is staring completely in awe at the screen. Her eyes are fixated on the two, grainy images of their children.

,,I think I've silenced the dragon once and for all," Regina quips. She's amused by this, it's not very often Mal is speechless. And she doesn't stay silent for long.

,,Not possible," the dragon says and grins at Regina. ,,I just needed a moment."

,,That makes two of us then."

,,What's that?" Lily asks suddenly and points to the screen.

,,It almost looks like little sparkles," Henry observes.

Regina looks at the screen. Henry is right. It does look like little sparkles incircles the babies.

,,Your combined magic," doctor Whale says and looks at Regina and Maleficent. ,,It incircles and protects your unborn children at the moment."

,,Wow." Henry says and grins.

They listen to the two heartbeats once more, and Regina isn't sure she'll ever get enough of that sound. Maleficent clearly feels the same, for she frowns when doctor Whale removes the handhold device from Regina and wipes the gel off her stomach.

,,Don't eat me," he teases Maleficent. ,,You'll be able to bring the pictures home with you."

,,Thank you," Maleficent says coolly and nearly snatches the pictures out of doctor Whale's hand.

,,Do you need to sit down for a while?" Doctor Whale inquires as Regina hops off the bed and adjusts her clothes. ,,You do look a little pale."

,,I'm fine. Just a little surprised, that's all." Regina dismisses. God forbid that Maleficent thinks she's unwell.

,,Alright, well as I said, nausea is fairly normal when you're expecting twins, but the nausea should subside in a couple of weeks."

,,Okay."

,,And it's very important that you start to eat whatever your body craves, and not just salad."

Regina glares at him, and Henry sniggers.

,,Don't worry, doctor. I'll make sure she eats," Maleficent says and grins wickedly.

Regina narrows her eyes and shoots her wife a deadly glare.

Doctor Whale books Regina in for a new appointment in a couple of weeks, urges her to eat whatever her body craves once more, and then hands her the pre-natal vitamins. ,,One every morning," he reminds her firmly.

Regina thanks him with a fair amount of politeness in her voice, and then they all four leaves the hospital. Maleficent is still clutching the sonogram pictures.

Regina feels slightly dizzy when they exit the hospital and walks outside in the bright sunlight. The word twins are still echoing in her mind. Two children. It's unbelievable. Almost too good to be true, and definitely more than she could ever have hoped for. She decides not to think about the birth yet. There will be plenty of time to worry about that, and Regina isn't exactly a stranger to pain. With everything she has been through, birthing two children should be a fairly easy task.

Getting an ultrasound scan had been a surreal experience. Regina remembers a time not too long ago where she was standing beside Robin, watching Zelena get an ultrasound. How complicated life was back then. And how shockingly easy it is now. Almost too easy. No, she can't think like that. Never wait for the next disaster, she reminds herself.

Henry and Lily are walking in front of them. Both of them chatting happily.

Maleficent watches to make sure none of them are paying attention before she pulls Regina in for a kiss. A kiss that's a little too intense considering where they are.

,,I don't think that's decent in the middle of the street," Regina admonishes, but returns the kiss anyway.

,,I don't give a damn, you're having twins!"

,,We are having twins."

,,You're right, we." Maleficent beams and gives Regina's knuckle a kiss.

,,Are you coming?" Henry half-yells and looks over his shoulder.

,,Coming," Regina says and waves him along.

,,What's the rush, young man?" Mal inquires and raises an eyebrow.

,,He can't do without Violet another minute," Lily laughs and nudges her stepbrother.

,,That is so not true!" the teenager denies. ,,Ma just texted me."

,,Why?" Regina asks.

,,Because she and Grandma are ridiculously curious. They are waiting at Granny's right now."

,,Are you sure you're up for Granny's right now?" Mal asks and gives Regina a look. ,,We could just head home if you're tired."

,,I'm fine," Regina dismisses. ,,Granny's sounds good, but your mother and grandmother must contain their curiosity until I've had something to eat."

,,Are you hungry again?" Maleficent chuckles.

,,Yes," Regina admits with a shrug.

,,Well, you're eating for three so that's only fair," Lily grins, and Regina's eyes widens.

,,What, three?!" she asks bewildered and wonders whether she missed something significant on the ultrasound.

,,You and the two babies, mom!" Henry says with a grin.

,,Oh. Right. I knew that."

All four of them arrives at Granny's soon after, and Lily quickly walks over to a nearby booth where Mulan is waiting for her.

Regina, Maleficent and Henry on the other hand heads for a larger booth where Snow, Emma and Zelena awaits them.

The two sorceresses are barely seated at the table before Snow bombards them with questions:

,,Well? How did it go? Did you see the baby? did you hear a heartbeat?"

,,Oh, there was a heartbeat alright," Mal mutters quietly.

,,Mom, give them a chance to breathe." Emma chuckles.

,,Oh right. How are you feeling, Regina?"

,,I swear to god, if one more person ask me that…"

Zelena sniggers. ,,So, spill it! How did it go? Did you get a sonogram picture?"

Regina looks at Mal who nods eagerly. Oh well, pretty soon she will be showing properly, so why not just announce is?

Henry is almost bursting with excitement as Regina lays the sonogram picture on the table.

Emma, Snow and Zelena all leans in and looks at the sonogram. First, they all frown softly. Then Snow's green eyes widen and Regina can almost hear the penny drop.

,,And there it is," Maleficent observes with a grin.

Regina gives her a soft kick under the table.

,,Wait, does this mean that…?" Zelena gapes at Regina and Maleficent.

,,Can I say it? Please?" Henry begs, and Regina can see that he's got the words on the tip of his tongue, so she simply nods.

,,Go ahead," Maleficent chuckles.

,,Mom's having twins!" Henry announces loudly and grins from ear to ear.

Instantly, the couple is showered with congratulations and well wishing, and Regina can't separate their voices at all. But it doesn't really matter right now. All that matters are that her family is happy for her. For them.

,,That is wonderful news, Regina!" Snow exclaims and squeezes her former stepmothers hand.

,,Congratulations, Maleficent." Emma says and grins.

Maleficent shrugs. ,,I'm not sure you should be congratulating me. Regina is the one who's doing all the hard work."

,,That's correct," Regina quips.

,,But you were after all involved in the matter."

,,Zelena!" Henry quickly interjects.

,,I don't think the rude remarks are necessary, sister dear." Regina says sternly.

Henry quickly turns the attention elsewhere. ,,There was magic on the ultrasound!"

,,Really?" Snow says curiously and tilts her head.

,,Yes, and a great deal of it. Must be the most well-protected babies in all the realms," Maleficent smirks.

,,This is Storybrooke. They are gonna need protection," Regina deadpans.

Emma frowns softly and looks from Maleficent to Lily. Then, she asks: ,,How's the whole dragon thing gonna work?"

,,Dragon thing?" Maleficent repeats calmly.

,,Yeah I mean, you transform into a dragon, and so does Lily."

,,I had Lily with another dragon, dear. Don't forget that."

,,Right," Emma says and makes a face. Probably at the thought about Maleficent being with another dragon. ,,But aren't your children gonna be… part dragon or something like that?"

Regina raises an eyebrow. She didn't exactly think of that. ,,Tell me I'm not gonna give birth to two dragons."

Henry chokes on his cocoa.

,,Of course not," Maleficent huffs and looks slightly offended. ,,And I didn't give birth to a dragon, I laid an egg."

Henry splutters again.

,,You are doing a terrible job at soothing me," Regina warns and glares at her wife.

Emma, Snow and Zelena chuckles.

Finally, Maleficent gets the hint. ,,You are not gonna give birth to two dragons nor are you gonna lay an egg. You are gonna give birth to two, healthy, normal, children, alright?"

,,Normal," Zelena chuckles. ,,That's debatable."

Maleficent glares at her. ,,As for the dragon magic, I'm not completely sure."

,,Will they be able to turn into dragons too?" Henry asks excitedly.

,,Well.."

,,Just say it already, Mal." Regina urges tiredly.

,,Possibly," Maleficent says and winces at the expression on Regina's face. ,,But not until they reach their teenage years."

Regina sighs heavily. ,,One full grown dragon and two teenage dragons. Boy, I'm gonna be outnumbered. They are not even here yet, and I'm already exhausted."

,,Don't worry, my darling. I'll carry the next one."

Regina's eyes widens. ,,The next one?!"

,,I figured we could take turns," Maleficent drawls.

Henry quickly excuses himself and scurries off towards the jukebox.

,,We are not taking turns," Regina says firmly. ,,This is not something that's gonna happen again!"

,,Fine. Unless your magic gets out of control."

,,It won't. I'll make sure of it."

,,Mmm. If a slip could happen to a thousand-year-old dragon, then it could happen to you too, my dear."

,,Nonsense. I have far better control over my magic than you have," Regina dismisses and ignores the sniggers from Emma, Zelena and Snow.

,,Is that so?"

,,Yes!"

Maleficent takes her hand, and almost immediately, golden sparks flies from Regina's fingertips and sizzles when they collide with Mal's red ones.

,,So much for having control," Maleficent smirks.

,,I think there's magic in the air," Snow says in a sing song voice.

Regina pulls her hand out of the dragon's grasp. ,,You got some nerve to tease a pregnant woman, dragon!"

Maleficent gives her hand a soft squeeze. ,,I'm sorry."

,,Apology not accepted."

,,Is this the part where you banish her to the couch, Regina?" Emma chuckles.

Maleficent's eyes widens in mock fear.

,,If she continues to annoy me, then yes."

,,That's not very likely to happen!" Henry yells from the jukebox, and Regina silently agrees with her son. It's a cold day in hell when she forces Maleficent to sleep on the couch.

To Be Continued..